Rick's Inferno
by galladefenrir44
Summary: A prequel to The Blade and the Embrace. Rick's Inferno follows Rick as he journeys to Hell to save his kidnapped sister, Seras, from Sin, the Pokemon version of the Devil. Using only what he has been given, he must venture through the forsaken realm, slaying hordes of demonic forces and guardians and soon reaching Sin. Inspired by Dante's Inferno the poem and the game.


**Here's the premier of Rick's Awakening. Note to everyone, this story will be short, only having about 11 to 13 chapters to its name. However, I wanted to write this story for a while. This story was inspired by Dante Alighieri's first poem of the Divine Comedy, Inferno, and by the video game by Visceral Games. It's a more mature story than the rest I have written, much darker, and is a welcomed change of pace. Please tell me what you guys think of this first chapter, as it will dictate the rest of the chapters so far. So please review and I will make sure to post a new chapter as soon as I possibly can, but I need your feedback to know what is right and wrong in this story. Also note that I am not going to follow the poem or the game to the letter. This story will be different in some aspects. So have a memorable day guys, and Happy Halloween!**

**-Disclaimer-I do not own the Divine Comedy or Dante's Inferno, and they are owned by their respective owners.**

"speech"= talking out loud or conversing

*speech*= thoughts

**speech**= Pokemon moves

_speech=_ telepathic communication

A whole year. Has it really been that long? Rick completely lost track as he sat down by a small fire he made to keep him warm in the cold Kanto night. He had just arrived in Kanto earlier that day from a long journey in the Johto region. Needless to say, he was tired and all the bandages on his body hinted at the fact that he was also pretty worn from his travels.

Rick took a stick with Magikarps skewered on it, which he kept over the fire, and ate one of the Magikarps. It felt good to finally have something in his stomach, for the first time in three days. Ever since he left the team, solo life had been a new hell for Rick. He knew that he could go live with his adoptive sister, Seras. However, he never wanted to bother her with his problems, so he would rarely be seen by the team or just never have contact with them.

However, this time he made an exception. This time he was on his way to Seras' house in Fuchsia City, on her request so he could celebrate his birthday with her. Rick was never one for requests, but he could never completely refuse the female that raised him from the time he was ten. Rick wondered how Seras looked like now; since it has been a little over a year and a half since the two have seen one another. The Gallade thought hard about how he was going to make it to Fuchsia City in time to celebrate his birthday, but he knew that he had a promise to keep.

With that thought in mind, Rick stored his food away and rolled out a sleeping bag. He crawled inside and drifted off to sleep, hoping that his tired body would be rejuvenated in the morning, now that he had food in his stomach.

[Rick's Dream]

Rick walked in a dense forest that only had one path. He followed the path, not giving mind to what was around him. He walked for what felt like ages and then noticed that the path seemed to circle around. He came to this conclusion after he found the same tree multiple times. He thought for a second and then fired a **Hyper Beam** into the tree line, opening another path.

Rick walked into the clearing he made and saw a ring of fire in the middle and then saw what looked like a circle of ice in the middle. He walked up to it and inspected it in silence, but then lost interest and walked away.

As he was walking away, he heard a voice call him, "Aeruthael."

Rick drew his arm blades and turned around, seeing absolutely nothing. He scoffed and began to walk away again, but this time with a bit more caution than before.

Once again, a voice called out to him, "Aeruthael!"

Rick growled and wisped around to see a black shadow with glowing red eyes above the ring of fire. "And who the hell are you? And how do you know my real name?" Rick asked with a hiss in his tone.

The shadow chuckled and said, "You may call me Sin. I have been watching you for a long time now, watching how you work. You're pretty brutal as a warrior."

"I have to be. Now, do you want to be a victim to the brutality, or are you going to explain what you want with me? Besides, what should I care? This is a dream after all."

"Ah! So you are aware of that? Smart boy."

"Start talking. What do you want?"

Sin chuckled, "You'll soon find out."

Sin suddenly vanished and the ring of fire went out, leaving the circle of ice, which melted almost instantly.

Rick asked him, "What was that all about? Oh well, time to wake up." And with that he darted from his sleep, seeing the sun just over the tree line. Rick got up and said, "I have a lot of walking to do."

[Five Days Later; Fuchsia City]

Seras was walking around her home, watering her flowers. She was trying hard to get everything clean and ready for whenever Rick would arrive…if he would arrive. By this point in her life, Seras has grown used to being alone and used to having Rick wander off, far away from the group. She hated his devotion to his own isolation, but she still loved him as much as a protective big sister would.

She walked onto her second story balcony and watered her plants, but she also took a moment to look down the road, in hopes to see him walking down it. She sighed in a disappointed tone as she saw no one but the usual townspeople.

She then went to her living room and sat down for a while, still anxious to see him, but not getting too excited, for she knew that he had a habit of blowing off meeting like these, regardless of how rarely he agrees to them. She lay down on her couch and turned her tv on, trying to find anything to pass the time.

She remember how Rick promised her that he would go visit her for his birthday, but his birthday was only a day away and he was nowhere to be found. She felt lonely, since Jean had left a few weeks earlier to go on a quick adventure with Dartz. So she was all alone and desperately wanted someone to talk to and to spend time with.

Not too long after, she began to drift off to sleep; tired of her worry and the excessive cleaning and cooking she had done for Rick's arrival.

[Rick]

Rick was still on his way to Fuchsia City, making a lot of progress in the last few days, but tiring himself just as much. He began to climb a hill, hoping to find a place to rest soon. He was angry at himself for making Seras wait and for cutting it so close to his birthday.

Rick looked at his Poketch and saw that it was almost 8PM, notable by the sun beginning to set on the horizon. To this, Rick cursed his luck more. His feet were hurting, his stomach was grumbling, and his fatigue was growing with each step. He soon reached the top of the hill and sighed in relief as Fuchsia City was just a stone's throw away. Rick quickly collected his strength and ran down the hill, hoping Seras was still expecting him.

[Seras]

Seras sat at on her balcony, looking down the road, in hopes to see Rick appearing, but at this point her hope began to diminish. She sighed in disappointment and got up to walk back into the house, but something caught her eyes. She looked at the horizon and saw a familiar shape making its way down the road. She looked at it harder and then saw the shape change into a human-like shape.

Seras' heart jumped and yelled, "Rick?!" The figure waved at her and she quickly ran downstairs and out her door, heading straight for Rick.

Rick saw her coming to him and ran to meet her half way. The two soon joined one another hugged in the middle of the road, not speaking for a moment and continuing to hold each other tightly.

Seras soon let go of him and asked him, "Rick, it's good to see that you're still up and running."

Rick chuckled, "Barely. I'm just happy to see you again, sis."

"Come on. I can tell that you're tired."

"More than you think. I came from Johto on foot."

Seras seemed horrified, "On foot!"

Rick nodded, "Yeah. I needed to get here before my birthday, so I didn't sleep in the last two days and haven't stopped to eat for three."

Seras gasped and quickly dragged Rick into her house. She sat him down in the living room and looked at his feet. She gasped again when she saw that they were bleeding from all the strain of walking all those miles without rest.

Rick laughed nervously, "Yeah, walking on gravel roads will do that to you. Along with carrying a heavy pack with you on your back."

Seras began to scold him, "What a foolish thing to do! Do you realize how bad you have been abusing your body? I know that you heal faster than we do, but that doesn't mean that you have to torture yourself to make me happy."

"Sis, you're the only person I truly care about. That's why I came. I made you a promise and I was determined to keep it. I just wanted to make you happy."

"I only care if you're safe. I don't care for my happiness if you're going to sacrifice yourself like this."

Seras walked out of the living room and walked back in with a bottle of Full Restore and bandages in her hands. She knelt in front of Rick and sprayed his wounded feet with the Full Restore before wrapping them with the bandages.

Rick asked Seras, after inspecting the room, "You really went all out just for me?"

"Of course! It's not every day that you visit. So I took full advantage of my time and prepared the house for your arrival. I cleaned the house, organized it, and I cooked all your favorite meals for your birthday. I wanted it to be special; something to make you know how much I care about you."

"Sis, I already know that. I'm grateful; I really am."

"Well, now I want to see you eat. Three days of no food is crazy! Now come with me to the kitchen and I want to see a mountain on your plate."

Rick laughed, "Yes, ma'am!"

With that Rick got up and walked to the kitchen, ignoring the protest of his feet. He sat down at the table with Seras and began to pick his food, loving the selection on the table. They were all his favorites and he had a hard time choosing which ones he could pick without getting fat in one night.

Seras said to him, "Don't think, Rick. Just eat to your heart's content. Then I want you to go take a shower and then sleep. You need all of it."

Rick smirked, "I guess I do, but I can keep going." He said as he chose his chose and began to eat his food.

"No! I'm not going to let you kill yourself because you have no regard for your own health or body. I seriously need to change that about you."

Rick shrugged, "Try what you must."

"Just tell me something, Rick; tell me about your adventures."

Rick thought for a moment and said, "Well, I've journeyed throughout the regions. I've gone from Hoenn to Johto, back to Hoenn, to Kanto, where I met back up with you, Jean, and Dart. I then went to Unova, now that place was much more different than the other areas I have ever been to. Then I went back to Hoenn, and from there I went to Almia. I spent two weeks in Almia before going to Orre, and from Orre I went back to Unova. After three months in Unova, I came here to Kanto and stayed for another week with Mr. Silph before leaving and going back to Johto. Afterwards, I made you a promise to return to Kanto to visit you for my birthday, and now I'm back here in Fuchsia City. I've been pinballing from place to place."

Seras seemed surprised, "Wow! You never rest."

"No. Anywhere that I feel like going, I go straight to. I never stay in one place anymore. I can't get too comfortable."

"So how long do you intend to stay here with me?"

"Two days; which includes today and tomorrow with you."

"Wait, so you're leaving after your birthday?"

Rick nodded, "Yeah. I told you that I never stay anywhere for way too long."

Seras begged him, "Please stay longer! I never get to see you and now you're going to make this visit so short?"

"Sorry sis, but I can't stay. I've never stayed longer in Kanto than when I stayed here with you last time."

"I remember. You broke my heart when you disappeared in the middle of the night. You never stay long enough to say goodbye. It hurts me every time you do that, but I know that there is no way for me to stop you."

Rick felt a bit hurt and said, "Sis, I'm sorry that I broke your heart all those time. It's just my habit of mine, which I can't really shake. I leave because I want to keep you safe if an enemy is after me. If you're ever threatened, I will go to any length to save you…even if that means sacrificing myself."

Seras looked at him with a shocked expression and said, "You do not need to sacrifice yourself for me. That's not your job and I will not take it lightly."

"You already know that you're the only person that I truly care about."

"You've made that clear. So humor me and stay here. There's no need to go on the run. Haven't I been by your side when our master was alive and didn't Team Rocket still try to kill you then? So what's the fear now? We'll deal with them together, like we used to do."

"Seras, they are MY problem, not yours. I don't want them going after you because of me. If anything happens to you, I will get revenge. If anyone kidnaps you, I will pursue your kidnappers and destroy them tirelessly. I don't care if it's on Earth, Heaven, or even Hell itself. I will save you."

"Rick, if it comes to that, leave me behind."

Rick shook his head, "No can do. Sorry, but you mean too much to me for me to not save you. If it comes down to it, I will go after you and bring you back home."

Seras finally smiled and said, "At least I know that you still love me, despite everything."

"That's my line. You still love me, despite all the times I have made you worry, and despite all the heartache."

"You're my little brother. I will always love you, mainly unconditionally, but I still love you like any big sister would love her little brother."

Rick smiled and replied, "Same here, just flipped."

Seras laughed and the two ate peacefully for the rest of the night. Soon, they had finished and Rick walked upstairs with her and found the room she always left for him.

He smiled and said, "Just the way I remembered it. It's been a while since I've slept in a bed. I'm usually sleeping on the ground."

Seras pat him on the back and said, "Well this is your home. You get your own bed because of the fact. Now, just put your stuff anywhere and go shower. Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning for your birthday."

"Alright, sis. Are you going to bed?"

Seras nodded, "Yes, but we'll spend all the time in the world tomorrow."

"Before you go; where's Jean? I thought that he would be here with you."

Seras shook her head in disappointment, "He left a week and a half ago to go help my brother with something. They didn't tell me exactly what it was, so I just let them leave. I've been really lonely ever since. However, you're here to keep me company now. Now good night, Rick. I'll see you early in the morning as usual."

Rick chuckled, "Alright. Good night, sis."

Seras then walked into her room and closed the door as Rick walked into the bathroom.

[3 AM; Rick's Birthday]

Rick was sound asleep, tired as can be from his travels. He was in a deep sleep and was tossing and turning, having the same dream as before, but this time he confronted this Sin character.

[Rick's Dream]

Rick had grabbed Sin and slammed him to the ground, "Alright, start talking. Who are you and what the hell do you want with me?"

Sin laughed, "Oh, you really want to know?"

"Do I look like I don't? I want answers…now!"

"You'll get them soon enough." Sin then vanished and reappeared behind Rick, "However, let me ask you this; why are you sleeping so peacefully? Why aren't you protecting Seras?"

Rick's eyes shot open, "What!? What are you talking about!?"

"As you lay on your bed, I have already begun my little plan."

"Bastard! What are you doing to my sister?"

"You see, I'm going to take her on a little trip. Let's just say that it will be a Hell of a ride."

"Who are you?"

"I have said it before and I'll say it again, my name is Sin. I am also the master of Hell."

Rick suddenly heard a scream, "RICK!"

Rick then shot up from his sleep and jumped off his bed, quickly sprinting to Seras' room. He grabbed the door handle, but it burned him. He hissed in pain and then kicked the door down, only to see Seras being dragged by a pair of shadowy hands. Rick ran up to her and sliced the hands with his arm blades, making them let go.

Seras asked him, "What's going on?"

Rick replied, "I don't know, but we have to get out of here."

Sin's voice then rung through the house sarcastically, "Now wouldn't that be smart."

Seras was shocked, "What was that? Or rather, who was that?"

Rick replied again, "I wish I knew." He grabbed her hand, "Let's go!"

Rick then took off running with Seras in tow. They ran to the stairs, but saw a demonic looking shadow walking up the stairs menacingly.

The shadow then said, "Where do you think that you can run? I will just follow you everywhere you go. There is no escape from Sin. There is no escape from the Devil himself."

Rick growled in hatred and ran back to Seras' room, where he opened the balcony door and carried Seras as he jumped off the balcony. He landed on his feet, making sure that Seras was safe.

Just then Sin walked out of the house saying, "Run! Run as fast as you can! You'll only die tired."

Rick growled in anger and charged at Sin, slashing at him with **Psycho Cuts **on his blades. However, when he slashed he went through Sin as if he was cutting through smoke. Rick turned around and slashed again, but Sin immobilized his with a weird power and threw him over his head until he landed on a pile of chopped logs.

Seras quickly ran towards Rick to help him, but Sin suddenly grabbed her and said, "No, my dear. You will come with me to my domain." Rick then groaned and got up. Sin saw him and said, "If you want to do something about it, then come face me in Hell."

Rick then yelled, "Damn you! Let my sister go!"

Sin simply laughed and began to fly away with Seras screaming, "Rick!"

Rick quick chased after them, going through the nearby forest. He was attempting to reach Sin at all costs, and was soon catching up.

Sin noticed him and called out, "Destroy my pursuer, my forces!"

The ground then began to shake and horribly deformed monstrosities burst from the grounds. They looked like men, but with horns. Their right arms looked like blades and on their left arms they bore claws. They had a charred brown coloration, as if they have been burned.

Rick saw them and paused for a second, appalled by their appearance. However, he soon shook off his disgust and slashed away at the demons that stopped him from his task. He quickly slashed them down and continued on his way, finding more demons and dispatching all those that got in his way.

One demon then hit him in the face with the broad side of his blade, knocking him down. It then tried to stab him, but Rick rolled out of the way and sliced its head off as he jumped up, spaying blood everywhere.

Rick looked at the demons that surrounded him and said, "Out of the way, you damned sons of the Babylonian Whore!"

The demons roared at him and charged at him, but a bright light soon appeared and the demons were mysteriously cut down. Rick looked around and caught a glimpse of something of something diving into nothing. The being then appeared and was revealed to be the Legendary Giratina. A large purple blade soon flew past Rick's head and killed a charging demon. Rick looked to his right and saw three other Legendaries; Cresselia, Darkrai, and Mew.

Giratina appeared below Rick and picked him up saying, "Foolish mortal! Don't just stand there like a statue, fight with us!"

Rick shook off his initial amazement and jumped down, helping the Legendaries kill the remaining demons. Soon the demons in the area were dispatched and Rick did not stop to speak with the Legendaries, he just sprinted back to his chase of Sin and Seras.

Giratina then cut him off and said, "Do you even know what you are up against?"

Rick jumped on Giratina and ran over him, "I don't care! I need to rescue my sister!"

Mew then stopped him with and said, "Don't be so rash. You are facing Sin. He is who the humans call Lucifer, or Satan. He's the ultimate source of evil in our world and is extremely powerful."

Rick growled and soon broke out of Mew's hold, "I don't care! He has my sister and I won't let him take her."

Darkrai floated over to him, "You will fail in your quest. She's gone. You cannot face Sin."

"Then I'll die trying." He then charged energy in his arm blades, "Want to try to stop me? Any one of you wants to try?"

Cresselia shook her head, "We're not here to stop you. Arceus sent us to prepare you to enter the gates of Hell."

Rick scoffed, "Why should he care? He hasn't done much good for me before. Why the sudden change of heart towards me?"

Mew then hit Rick in the back of his head, "Show some respect! He's sending us to help you now."

"Why? He couldn't do it himself?"

"It's because for once, we have someone that has the strength required to fight through all nine circles of Hell."

Rick then asked, "So I really have to go through Hell?"

"That's where Sin is, so that's where he's taking Seras; thus, making it essential for you to go in there and stop him."

Rick replied sarcastically, "What do you know! I want to save my sister, but it turns out that the Legendaries have an agenda for me. So I have to play as your muscle again. I've done all of you enough favors to last a lifetime."

"Hey! Out of all the Legendaries, you've have the most encounters with us. So we came here to arm you for when you take on the legions of Hell. If we're lucky, we can reach Sin before he drags Seras through the Gates of Hell."

Giratina grunted in affirmation and said, "I have something here to act as a third arm for you while in Hell." His eyes began to glow red and out of nowhere red string came from the earth and sowed itself together until a scarf floated over to Rick.

Rick eyed it and said, "I thought Hell was full of fire and brimstone? Why do I need a scarf?" The scarf suddenly came to life and took the appearance of a viper's head and hissed at Rick before coiling itself around his neck. Rick was surprised and said, "What the hell!?"

"It is named the Chaos Scarf. It has recognized you as its master, so it will not kill you. You can control it and make it attack your enemies. It can take many forms and stretch to unimaginable lengths. It can also use physical and energy based attacks. You will learn more as you use it."

Cresselia then came to him and presented a red crystal in the shape of a star, "This is an Absolution Star. As its name suggests, it can be used to absolve yourself of anything that can bind you to Hell. It's best onto to use it then as you have a limited amount of times that you can use it. You can use it on Seras if she gets bound to Hell. Arceus created it for that purpose. He doesn't want you two to be stuck there."

Rick took the crystal and placed it on the sash pocket he carried around, "This should come in handy. Thanks!"

Darkrai then handed Rick a pair of gold and black bracers, "These bracers are meant for you to be able to withstand the heat and cold of Hell. They also increase your energy so that you do not tire as easily as you would here on Earth. They will also make sure that your strength stays with you, because in Hell, your strength would be nothing, unless you become part of it. Note, once you put them on, you cannot take them off until you are out of Hell. They will bind to you."

Rick grabbed the bracers and quickly put them on his wrists, immediately feeling their power, "Well, these are great items. So I guess now I should go after them."

Mew stopped him, "Wait! You are forgetting my gift. Technically, it's Arceus' gift."

She then concentrated her energy and a flaming hole opened in the ground. Soon a scythe poked through the hole and began to lift out of hit. It was glowing gold with the flame and soon it cooled to reveal a very monstrous looking weapon. The scythe was about a foot taller than Rick in length, it had a serrated blade, a black grip, a skull on the base of the blade with a large metal spike sticking out of the end. The blade of the scythe itself was about four and three quarters of a foot long.

Mew continued, "This is known as the Reaper Scythe. Usually, it was made to reap the souls of the damned. However, in Hell it is used as the best means to kill demons and even leave Sin with a nasty wound."

Rick quickly held the scythe and once he touched it, marking appeared on his torso and flames erupted from the eyes of the skull. Rick fell to his knees as he felt a sharp burning pain where the markings were at.

Rick said to Mew, "What did you do to me!?"

Mew replied, "The scythe is accepting you as its wielder. You can use its powers now. Don't worry, the markings are not permanent. They only appear when you activate the scythe's Reaping Abilities. The Reaping Abilities only activate when you absolutely need them to. The scythe works by damning the souls of the demons you slay. So it causes them to suffer in Hell like the souls of those they torture. It's a good way to even the score, wouldn't you say?"

Rick got up, "I guess. So how do I put this scythe away?"

Mew flew onto Rick's shoulder and her eyes began to glow. Suddenly, a piece of body army appeared on Rick's torso. It was very light and it covered all his vital organs.

Mew then said, "Just put it on your back and it will be pacified until you need it."

Rick looked at the scythe and placed it on his back. As soon as he did, the blade closed onto the stem of the weapon and attached itself to the armor like a magnet. Rick grabbed the scythe and pulled it off his back, which made it open up again in his hands.

Rick smirked, "Perfect!"

"One more thing; the scythe can turn into a spear and axe for any situation that you may need either. Just think of what you need and it will transform in suit."

Rick looked at the scythe and tested it out, making the blade shift until it pointed upwards, making the spear. He then made the blade move to the side of the scythe and made it grow larger, making the axe. "So speed and power? Useful, I say. Am I prepared to go?"

Giratina nodded, "Yes. Whatever you do, do not die in Hell! I am not going to reclaim your soul from that Arceus forsaken place. You will be stuck there forever. Also, do not eat anything or drink the water. It will bind you in Hell. Finally, do not participate in any of the sins committed in Hell, for they will find you there as well. Do I make myself clear?"

Rick nodded, "Yes sir!"

"Good! We shall leave you now, but Arceus sent for a guide to lead you through Hell. They cannot help you fight; they are only there to lead the way."

"I understand. Thank you!"

The Legendaries then left and Rick sprinted after Seras and Sin, hoping to make up for lost time. He ran as fast as he could. He soon made it out of the forest and looked around for any sign of the two and found them flying over the town's graveyard. Rick quickly teleported to the graveyard's gates and kicked them open.

He ran in and heard Seras call out to him, "RICK!"

Sin looked back to Rick and saw him running over to them, "You are very persistent, I admire that. However, you are only fooling yourself if you believe that you'll make it over to me."

As soon as he said that, more demons came out of the ground. Rick reached back and grabbed the scythe and slashed down group of surrounding demon in one spin.

Sin looked in surprise and said, "Where did you get all of that?"

Rick smirked, "Afraid now?"

"Don't be foolish, mortal! I do not fear. I was the one who created fear!"

Sin put Seras down and lunged after Rick. Rick jumped over him and sunk the scythe into his back and lifted him up, slamming him repeatedly, "Surprised?"

Sin grunted in apparent pain and asked amazed, "The Reaper Scythe? How did you get that weapon?"

Rick smirked again, "It was a gift. Same as everything I have right now!" He then pulled Sin off the scythe blade and slashed at him, but Sin vanished and reappeared grabbing him in a giant shadow claw.

Sin smiled a very demonic smile, "You still lack the strength to defeat me." He suddenly threw Rick away, making him crash into a mausoleum. "See you in Hell."

Sin turned and grabbed Seras, who was trying to run away. She flailed in his grasp and said, "Let me go! Rick!"

Sin laughed, "Not quite yet, my dear. We must go into my kingdom first. Only then will you be free to roam as you please."

Sin began to float again and flew off until they reached the end of the cemetery. He then roared and a large gate with two gigantic skeletons holding the doors appeared. The skeletons slowly opened the games and Sin flew into the open gates, which closed as he entered.

Rick woke up from his violent crash and shook off the dust and pain. He looked up and saw the gates of Hell in the distance. He said to himself, "Damn it! I need to keep going."

(Battle Music: **You Must Overcome by Epic Score**)

With that he took off running again and was then met by another army of demons. He looked around and noticed that he was completely surrounded.

He immediately remembered the Chaos Scarf that was around his neck, "Umm…Chaos Scarf, help me out here." The Chaos Scarf came to life and immediately attacked the demons, devouring them one by one, clearing the way for Rick. "Now that was handy."

Rick was on the move again and fought his way to the gates of Hell. He soon was met by a large demon that tried to step on him, but Rick jumped out of the way, slashed the back of its neck, jumped to its neck, and slit it. He jumped off and saw as the demon bled to death in a matter of moments. He ran forward again, killing a large amount of demons until he reached the area where the gates were located.

Rick caught his breath and walked to the gates, but was stopped by another scythe being plunged near his head. Rick spun around and saw a large cloaked figure standing before him. The scythe near his head then went flying into the arms of the being.

Rick asked the being, "Now who the hell are you?"

The being removed his cloak to reveal demonic looking head with very little skin or flesh, detailing the skull. It had black eyes that had a black mist coming out of them. His scythe was black and looked worn, as if it had been using it for a long time.

The being then spoke, "How foolish of you to not recognize me! I am the one you call Death. I am the reaper of all souls and the one that warns where one will go in the afterlife. Aeruthael, you do not belong in Hell; so I suggest you leave this place now. You have no business with the damned!"

Rick bowed his head in respect for Death and said, "My apologies, fair Grim Reaper; but I cannot leave without Seras. I must enter Hell and face Sin for her."

"Hell is for the damned, Aeruthael. I hold no ill will against you, but you may not enter. I am sorry, but Seras is lost for all eternity."

Rick this time glared at Death, "I am not leaving without her. Damn me if you must, but I must free her from Sin."

"I do not hold the power to damn. However, I will make you a deal."

"What kind of deal, noble Death?"

"Defeat me in combat and I will reveal secrets of your weapon and grant you entry into Hell, unopposed. However, should you lose; you will have to abandon this quest."

"Very well, Death. I agree."

A dark vortex then surrounded the two and transported them to a cliff above the cemetery. Rick drew his scythe and Death drew his. Death floated over to his appropriate position and the battle began.

(Battle Music: **A Thousand Deaths by Immediate Music**)

Rick and Death clashed in the middle of the field, causing sparks to fly from their weapons. Rick ran around Death, avoiding each slash from his scythe as best as he could. Death suddenly swung at Rick, an attack that he easily ducked under, but Death spun, hitting Rick with the blunt end of the scythe.

Rick fell to the floor, holding his nose and opened his eyes to see Death about to drive his scythe into him. Rick quickly used his scythe to block the blow and rolled out of the way, making death's scythe sink into the ground. Rick jumped to his feet and kicked Death, making him stagger back.

Death said to Rick, "Impressive, Aeruthael. However, you have not won yet."

Death floated in the air and threw his scythe, where is began to fly across the room as a highly dangerous disk. Rick saw it coming and jumped over it, but it soon flew back towards him. Rick used his scythe to block the scythe and it flew back to Death.

Death caught the scythe and swung down at Rick, hitting his scythe and causing Rick to fly back. Rick hit the ground and staggered to his feet.

Rick said to Death, "I was not expecting that much strength coming from you."

Death explained, "When you live your entire existence swinging your scythe, you gain an arm for doing so. Now return to the fight, or do you not want to save Seras?"

"Don't go there now."

"Sometimes you have to be pushed to do what needs to be done. Now what is that you want to do? Defeat me and go save your sister, or lose and lose her as well?"

Rick gripped his scythe tighter, "I want to save her. That's why I am fighting."

"Then try to defeat me!"

Rick nodded and charged at Death, swinging away as best as he could to try to harm the spirit of death. Death the backtracked and then swung at Rick, hitting his shoulder.

Rick held his shoulder and heard Death say, "You are not strong enough."

Rick growled and charged at Death, which Death saw coming. However, Rick lunged the scythe at him and turned it into a spear, surprising Death and stabbing him in the chest. Death pulled himself off the spear tip and held his wound. He looked up and saw Rick dashing towards him.

Death lifted his scythe and said, "It won't be that easy!" He quickly swung down at the ground and a black shockwave went through the cliff, sending Rick flying off the cliff. Rick used his scythe to catch the end of the cliff and then grabbed the cliff with his hand. Death then appeared and said, "You lose!" He then swung down at him.

Rick suddenly turned the scythe into an axe and knocked Death's axe away. He then threw the axe at Death, hitting him in the head. Rick quickly climbed up and jumped over Death, grabbing the axe. Death turned around and swung at him, but Rick caught his arm and grabbed his scythe. He quickly threw Death onto a rock wall and threw his scythe at him, pinning him to the wall.

Rick then teleported to Death and began to stab him with his scythe in spear form repeatedly. Death burst out of the wall and tried to slash at Rick, but Rick ducked under the attack and grabbed Death's neck with his scythe and pulled, cutting his head off.

Rick fell to his knees and panted, trying to catch his breath. He was happy that he won and looked at the scythe, "You're pretty useful."

Death's body and head then materialized way and reformed into the whole Death. Death said to Rick, "Yes, it is. You won, so I must keep my end of the bargain. I will grant you access into Hell and teach you about your scythe. Now listen closely, because I'm only saying it once. Your scythe has the unique ability to heal you as you kill enemies, but only slightly. Your scythe can also expand in length to whatever length you need it to be."

Rick seemed curious and tried that out, making the scythe lift into the sky by many meters and then returning to normal, "Nice!"

"Finally, your scythe has an awakened state. You'll know when you activate this."

Rick bowed his head, "Thank you, Death!"

"No need to thank me. Just be careful. I shall be praying to Arceus for your safe return. You will find the gates able to open for you." Death then vanished and Rick turned to leave.

Rick jumped down from the cliff and walked over to the gates of Hell, scythe in hand. There he saw a spectral form of a man, who turned to look at him with a smile.

Rick approached him and said, "Take pity on me, whatever the hell you are."

The spectral figure laughed, and then scrutinized him for a while. After doing so, he deduced, "I see that you are a scarred warrior, meaning you've experienced battle, extensively. Judging by the size and placement of some of those scars, however, you were very young at the time... and still are. You clearly do not belong here, therefore I can only assume you are the Aeruthael I was sent to guide?"

"To guide?"

"You didn't believe Lord Arceus was going to leave you to flounder in the depths of Hell alone, did you? He values you too highly, but because you won't be deterred from this path, he insisted someone help guide you and avoid the worst this realm has to offer, and believe me, there is much to be wary of."

"I can see that. It's Hell for a reason." A gigantic demon suddenly appeared, "Ah crap!"

The spirit observed the demon for a moment, then scoffed and told him, "Nothing to worry about. Strike the right knee, and the battle will be yours."

Rick nodded and drew his scythe and quickly did as the spirit suggested. He slashed at the knee, causing the demon to kneel. Rick then jumped onto its head and sunk the scythe into it, extending the blade in the process, killing the beast.

Rick jumped off and landed next to the spirit and asked, "How did you know that?"

The spirit floated over to the knee and pointed out several strange bumps on the cap, "He had a physical deformity, which if struck would render the leg completely useless. Once it was dispatched, he would become helpless, since most of his power is stored in kicks, accounting for his size and the fact that most of the musculature resides in his lower body. Whoever sent him wasn't counting on anyone being able to spot that, but for me it was fairly easy."

"Who are you?"

"Forgive my rudeness. My name is James Archibald Ryuto."

"A human? Why would Arceus send a human to help me?"

"Technically, I'm a spirit. But Arceus' reasoning was that, due to my family curse, I would be able to guide you more safely than any other possible guide. Moreover, Arceus trusts my family line, seeing as we've helped his creations before. Now, he told me you were here to save someone, and based on that I've made a few deductions, and after learning more of your history, I fine-tuned them. How does this sound? This persona you're after is someone you clearly care for, seeing as you're willing to go through hell, literally, to save her. You suffered early on, losing your family in the process, so she became a surrogate mother to you. I imagine the leader of this realm threatened you in some way, and she decided to sacrifice herself to save you. Now you're willing to do the same for her, regardless of the risk."

Rick was surprised, "That's correct."

James smiled, remarking, "Good, my skills haven't diminished. Now, from what I understand, and know, this Sin character is the embodiment of all major sins, and many minor ones. He clearly wanted your life, but since he took your friend in trade, he'll want to torture you for the rest of your life. Therefore, she only received two options; join everyone in the realm of the damned, or become his eternal bride. Since she shared a close connection with you, I believe it's the latter."

Rick was horrified by what he heard, "Wait, what!?"

"Yes, you didn't know? Judging by your reaction, you weren't aware that he does this, based on how deep of a connection two people share. Because yours was that of a surrogate mother over a broken child, he knew that the best way was to make her still visible, in a way, but unattainable. Had he killed her and sent her soul among the others here, you would have been distraught. However, after a time, you would reconcile with yourself and accept it. However, if she remained alive, but eternally wed to the king of Hell, you would always be tense, perhaps even to the point of trying to save her, which obviously happened."

Rick clenched his fist and said, "That bastard!"

"Indeed. He's done this for a period of... well, ever since he began, really. I must warn you, though, if someone does come to rescue their friend or lover, whatever the case, he'll make the path difficult to test the victim, and then force them to watch as their friend or lover is brutally killed. Arceus sent me to help you through this process, to prevent it from happening altogether. I can't guarantee we'll succeed, but I swear upon my afterlife that I will do everything I can to help."

"And what do you intend to get out of this?"

"What could I, a spirit, possibly gain from doing this? When I was alive, I was a detective, very accomplished. This sort of situation is exactly why Lord Arceus called me in. There have been others among my family who served as detectives as well, but none were as prominent as I."

"Very well, so what can I expect from Hell?"

"There are nine levels total, each symbolizing a different sin. Each one is unique, as it will test you for each, and at the end you must battle gate guardians that embody that particular sin. Only then can you pass to the next level. They increase in difficulty as you go, and each will have its own version of traps. This is where I can best help you, since most of them will be harder to spot than others if you know nothing of what to look for."

"Well, I guess you'll be useful after all." He then pushed open the gates of Hell, "Let's go!"

To be continued**…..**

**Now it's time for Rick to enter Hell and save Seras. If anyone has read the poem or played the game, you know which part of Hell comes first. So please tell me if you guys enjoyed this story or if there were problems by posting them in the review section. Thank you for reading this story guys! Happy Halloween!**


End file.
